


Forgetting Isn't All Bad

by stringsoffatefics



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Ichiruki, Love Confessions, Red String of Fate, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 00:24:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13376193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stringsoffatefics/pseuds/stringsoffatefics
Summary: It's Rukia Kuchiki's birthday and on the eve of her surprise party, hosted by her brother, it dawns on Ichigo that he's forgotten to get her a gift.Essentially a (slightly late) fluffy fic for Rukia's birthday, lots of Ichigo being a loved-up pup and Rukia being her usual, gorgeous self.





	Forgetting Isn't All Bad

Go figures that he would be the last one to find a present.

Things just moved so quickly at the beginning of the year. It seemed like just yesterday it was Christmas and he was worrying about what present to buy then, the relief of having made it just in time had worn of completely, a mere few weeks later and he was panicking last minute again. It didn’t help that everyone else seemed to have thought about their gifts months ago, how did they keep up with it all when there was so much else to do?

Needless to say, no one had been of any help.

Byakuya had gone above and beyond, of course, and had opened up part of his home to host her a birthday party- apparently he’d been meticulous with the planning and, from the amount of times Renji had shown up at his room drunk and complaining, he gathered the Captain was driving his Lieutenant mad with all the preparation. It would be a great night, all their close friends from the World of the Living were coming to visit as a surprise, and Ichigo had very much counted on them showing up without presents so they could worry about it together. How wrong he was. Chad had very thoughtfully purchased a baby blue rabbit plushie for her, it even had little snowflakes sewn on it’s paws, a ridiculously considerate gift as far as Ichigo was concerned. Orihime and Uryu had shown up carrying a bag between them, holding a handle each, and inside was a plain white box which they’d kept very hush-hush until they got to Byakuya’s house and then proudly revealed a homemade rabbit cake. They’d worked on it together, baked it from scratch and decorated it beautifully, she would adore it and of course that had irritated him even more. Renji had gone for what Ichigo had immediately claimed to be a cop out, he’d made a voucher booklet where the majority of them were good for days of work or unloading her paperwork onto Renji for a few days, as well as some other random additions that other Lieutenants had helped with- he hadn’t realised one needed a coupon for a heart-to-heart with Rangiku but either way they’d made one.

All the other guests had brought small gifts of some kind too, they arrived early and stacked them up on a large table at the back of the room, chatting amongst themselves about what they’d come up with and praising each other’s ideas.

Which just left him.

Rukia was hard to buy for, that’s what Ichigo had suggested at first, but looking at the pile of gifts everyone else had come up with he wasn’t sure that was valid any more. In truth, it wasn’t that Rukia was difficult to buy for but that Ichigo didn’t want to get her the generic things that everyone else would, it would be easy to buy her some Chappy merchandise or run with the rabbit theme to please her. It wasn’t a bad idea, she did like those things and their friends put a lot of thought into buying her things she would enjoy, but Ichigo wanted to get her something _different_. A few months from now he didn’t want his gift to become just one of the many items she stored somewhere in her room, he didn’t want to add to the pile of plushies she had, to get her food that would be there one moment and gone the next. He could do that for other people perhaps, but not for her.

She wasn’t like other people.

But he was swiftly running out of time, he’d stupidly agreed to arrive early with the rest of his friends to help set up before the rest of the guests arrived and before he knew it he was so invested in following Byakuya’s exact orders to create his party vision that he’d forgotten about everything else. He had to admit he was proud of the work they’d done, it was to be a classy affair, they’d cleared several rooms of the Kuchiki household and opened them up not only to each other but out into the gardens too. Clusters of candles hanging overhead lit up the rooms and the gardens, reflecting off the ponds and filling the space with a warm glow, there was to be plenty of food for all and all kinds of music played from traditional to more modern songs Rukia had come to admire during her time in the World of the Living. They had put decorations everywhere, pale pinks and golden oranges filling up the space in the form of balloons and streamers, capturing the whole space in an endless sunset. When guests began to arrive in their traditional clothes it only made the atmosphere more magical, it was like a festival with everyone dressed up so well, and with fireworks planned for later the whole night was set out to be one to remember. It would be Rukia’s first birthday after the war, after she’d taken on looking after a Squad by herself, after she’d guided Ichigo through his new life in the Soul Society. She’d worked incredibly hard for months now and everyone wanted to give something back to her.

“If everyone can please hold their conversations temporarily, our guest of honour should be arriving any moment,” Byakuya was as serious as ever, voice calm and power clear, but there was a pride in him that couldn’t be hidden that evening. He was proud of her, as they all were, and upon his request the room fell quiet and everyone looked to the door expectantly.

It wasn’t long before the sound of footsteps could be heard just outside, moving along the corridor, the excitement in the room was almost unbearable. Ichigo could feel his heart in his throat, a part of him wasn’t prepared for her to arrive yet when he hadn’t been able to get her anything, yet another part of him was filled with anticipation. She was going to love this, he could tell already, she would be so surprised and imagining her face when it sunk in had him unconsciously smiling. If anyone deserved to know how valued they were it was Rukia. The door slid open and with it came a familiar voice.

“Byakuya, thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight, I-“ Rukia took a single step through the door and she was immediately interrupted by a chorus of cheers.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUKIA!”

She stopped short, a hand still gripping the door she’d slid open, her eyes widening and mouth hanging open in pure surprise. Like everyone else she was dressed up traditionally, the blue of her kimono so dark it could be mistaken for black if her hair wasn’t darker in comparison. It was incredibly detailed, from the distance he stood he could make out what looked to by tiny light blue flowers drifting up from the edge of her sleeves and bottom of the main garment, they matched the material wrapped around her centre and the collars. And they matched the clip in her hair, it was slid in place on her left side, and it was only when he saw the clip did he realise the tiny flowers weren’t flowers at all but snowflakes. The rest of her hair, which usually hung loose and in the new year had begun to wave below her shoulders, was plaited and dropped down over her right shoulder. It was no doubt a beautiful get up, but it had nothing on the one who wore it. After the initial shock settled a light flush had rushed to her cheeks and the corners of her mouth had turned up into a delighted smile, the warmth of which went far beyond her eyes and filled her whole face with joy.

For just a moment he found himself wondering if she had always been this beautiful, just a moment because the answer was an easy one.

 _Of course_.

Byakuya got to her first, a hint of a smile on his face as he wished her a happy birthday and swept an arm behind her to encourage her inside. People swarmed around her but despite her height it was easy for Ichigo to see her among them, her laughter seeming louder to him then all else in the room as friends showered her with hugs and congratulations. It had been some time since he’d seen her smile to brightly, Ichigo had no doubt Rukia was happy doing the work she’d been given, and she often spoke of what an honour it was to manage her Squad for the time being, but a lot had happened in a short time which, as Ichigo knew from experience, could be taxing. In their moments shared together he had often seen her spirits lifted and it always felt too short a time before work swept her up again. When Byakuya had informed him of the plan for her birthday Ichigo had been on board immediately for that very reason, because she was so often busy, and it seemed like such a long time since any of them had been able to just enjoy their time together, to remember all they had worked so hard to save. He could stand there, arms folded across his chest, watching her be happy from a distance all night but he knew it wouldn’t last long- distance between them never did these days. When he caught a glimpse of her in the crowd again his smile brightened, it always made his chest warm to find her looking back at him when he was watching her, something in her expression seemed to soften upon spotting him and soon enough she was weaving her way between the crowd to reach him.

“You knew about this?” She accused the minute she reached him, her head tilting and a playful glint appearing in her eyes.

“Who do you think got roped in to do all the heavy lifting?”

“Oh, I’m sure you did all this by yourself, no help needed. The Great Ichigo, master decorator and party planner extraordinaire.”

“Tease all you like, I’m broadening my horizons, if this whole Soul Reaper thing doesn’t work out I might go into the events planning business.”

“ _Really_? Shut up, you’re such a moron.”

She laughed so brightly it lifted Ichigo’s soul, with a roll of her eyes she playfully punched him in the chest and then she lingered. Her fist lingered there, grip relaxed, knuckles resting against the centre of his chest, when he was used to them falling away. Used to be used to. Not these days, these days all touches seemed to linger, whenever they were near each other it was as though they gravitated towards one another. Touches lingered longer and longer. They pulled away slower and slower. He wondered if she could feel his heart pounding in his chest, as it always did when time stopped for a short while and allowed him a moment to just look at her and feel her presence close to him.

“I may have had a little help,” He finally spoke, reality bleeding back into their moment and she dropped her hand away from him. But he still felt her there and she still gazed up at him, entirely focused on him and nothing else, a smile on her lips.

“Still, thank you. Byakuya appreciates it too, if he hasn’t already told you. I can hardly believe he put all of this together, first the kimono and now this? Though I shouldn’t be surprised that when it comes to presents Byakuya is a natural, I doubt you’re going to be able to top this one.”

“Yeah, about that-“

Before he could continue a bright call brought them both out of their conversation.

“Rukia!”

A blur of orange and light pink shot between them and sure enough Orihime had swept Rukia into a hug, wishing her a happy birthday as she squeezed her tight, releasing her only to grab hold of both her hands and begin complimenting her kimono and appearance. Rukia shot Ichigo a look, almost apologetic, but he merely shook his head and gestured her to go off and mingle. As much as he wanted to spend all night talking to her he knew that wasn’t possible, that and Orihime had just unintentionally saved him from admitting he didn’t have a present, the more time he had to think of something the better.

The party was going brilliantly well. For most of the night Ichigo only caught glimpses of Rukia, she was swept off by one friend or another, so they could wish her a happy birthday or tease her about the gift they’d got her. Throughout the night, even when they were apart, they shared glances and brief smiles before they got drawn into conversations with other guests and kept from each other. He should have viewed it as a great opportunity to make up for his gift mishap but if he were being honest he didn’t see what chance he had, unless he left he wouldn’t be able to get her anything and he didn’t want to leave, if only for snippets of time he enjoyed seeing her being so loved by everyone around her. She meant so much to so many people and he wasn’t always sure she knew it, things had come a long way since they first met but when he looked back he wondered if she’d ever really known how much positivity she brought to the lives of the people she met.

He was sure she didn’t fully know all she meant to him.

Things seemed to be quietening down, Rukia had made the rounds and as people mingled with each other he finally caught sight of her again. She wasn’t facing him at first, he noticed now there was a tree on the back of her kimono, it’s branches bare except for a few clinging cherry blossoms, the rest were swept up in the air with snowflakes dotted between them. When she turned for half a second her brows were slightly knitted, eyes searching, and then their gazes met and something close to relief filled her expression and was replaced a moment later by simple contentment. She weaved through people towards him and, in turn, Ichigo moved around people to reach her faster. They were so close too, a few paces and then Byakuya swept in, placing a hand on his sister’s arm and announcing the fireworks were about to start. He lead Rukia towards the gardens and they could only share a glance before she was ushered to the front of the crowd for the best view. Ichigo stood there dumbfounded and exhausted, the whole day he had been working hard to make sure this was a memorable day for Rukia, yet he couldn’t help feeling a little disheartened that he was going to be no more than a few minutes in that memory. He wasn’t in the mood for fireworks, he wasn’t in the mood for explaining the lack of present either, so he waited a little while longer and when the first firework shot up into the sky he left.

It was cold out and his breath ghosted in front of him as he flash stepped to Squad Thirteen, it was always peaceful there, he settled walking along the paths surrounded by water where the late Captain had spent so much of his time. He could understand why, it was nice here, and if he looked in the right direction he could even see the fireworks from Byakuya’s house bursting across the sky and reflecting in the water around him.

“This isn’t your Squad.”

The voice startled him, his head snapping round and mouth falling open as his gaze landed on Rukia, leisurely strolling along the path towards him.

“What are you doing here? What sort of idiot misses their own party?”

“What sort of idiot skips out on their friend’s party?”

She had him there and she knew it too, a smirk curling her lips as she came to a stop a few feet away from him. She turned towards the fireworks, taking in a deep breath as bright purples and reds danced across the sky and, in turn, the water around them. It had been a long time since they’d stood like this, side by side, watching the fireworks, but he remembered the last time well. It had been the best and worst day of his life, at the time he thought it’d be the last one he spent with her.

“So… Renji may have let slip you didn’t get me a gift.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, watched his mouth open to speak and quickly laughed with a shake of her head. “Don’t give me that look, I was going to find out eventually. I’ve got to say I’m a tiny bit surprised, I’ve only been casually hinting at the Chappy phone case for two months, when I didn’t get it for Christmas I sort of thought you were waiting until my birthday.”

“I didn’t mean to! Someone else probably got you that anyway!”

“Ichigo,” She merely smiled. “I’m teasing you.”

“I’ll get you the stupid phone case.”

“You don’t need to get me anything, idiot. You forgot, that’s fine, and you helped Byakuya with the party which is more than I expected I’d get with everyone being so busy.”

“Helping Byakuya isn’t… it wasn’t meant to be a substitute for a present, I would have helped him throw you a birthday party regardless of whether I got you anything. I helped Byakuya because I wanted you to have a good birthday.”

“I _have_ had a good birthday, but I don’t expect parties or presents, you do more than enough for me anyway.”

“I do barely anything for you, you do it all yourself-“

“Well, that’s true actually.”

“… But supporting you is something I want to do, it’s what we’ve always done for each other.”

It fell quiet between them. Rukia didn’t take her eyes off the distance, watching the fireworks that were meant for her, and Ichigo couldn’t take his eyes off Rukia. There wasn’t really a time when he didn’t think she was beautiful, it didn’t matter whether she showed up at his room to complain after days of solid work, exhausted and irritable or whether it was nights like these, where she was dressed up in new clothes with her hair neatly in place and the cold having caused a light flush in her cheeks. At some point, though he couldn’t quite say when, Ichigo had just decided that Rukia Kuchiki was one of the most beautiful people he’d ever met, and no one had come close ever since. She just grew on him, it wasn’t a sudden realisation but more a subtle recognition, slowly but surely it occurred to him that she was the very centre of his world.

“I didn’t get to see much of you tonight,” She finally spoke, her voice soft, taking in a deep breath before she continued, “Next year, let’s just do something with the two of us. No big parties, just the two of us.”

“What about Byakuya?”

“If Byakuya tries to bully you into another one you can come to me, I’ll protect you.”

“Wow.”

He laughed, so unbelievably happy in that moment that he couldn’t do anything else. He cast his gaze out across the water, the last of the fireworks still casting sparks across the surface, the night was coming to an end and he was finally spending it with the only person he wanted to see.

The words left him without even thinking.

“I love you.”

Time always seemed to flow slowly between them when they were together, as if they were caught in a different stream, a place only the two of them knew. It had always been slow, the process of getting here, the pull between them was gravitational but never quite enough; touches were never long enough, feelings were never expressed enough, the pull between them never quite strong enough to keep them together. At some point it had to change, he’d always known that, and as the words settled between them he knew he’d done that one way or another. All that had once been so slow, never enough, suddenly came together all at once. He caught Rukia turning towards him in the corner of his eye and no sooner had he turned around was she stood before him, a hand gripping into his collar, pulling him down to her. Her lips were cold when they met his, but her face was flushed warm and he could feel it when he cupped her cheek, when he wrapped an arm around her waist, when he pulled her up against him and space between them finally dissolved. Finally. It had been too long and never enough, it was about time they came crashing together. Which they did, for her lips were cold but her mouth was hot when she bit at his lip and dared to taste his mouth, feverish and desperate as air was lost but years of longing was finally shared.

And he loved her. He loved her. He loved her. He loved her.

“I love you,” She whispered it back, when their mouths fell apart and a grin broke out across her face, her forehead pressed to his and her eyes closing. They relished in the moment, their breathing hard and hearts pounding, not daring to release each other from the hold they’d finally found. Rukia kissed him again, brief this time, and brushed her nose against his affectionately. Her voice was teasing when she added, “Couldn't even remember to buy a phone case for the girl you love, huh?”


End file.
